le·ver·age
ˈle-və-rij 
ˈlē-;
ˈlev-rij,
ˈlēv-
1
: the action of a lever or the mechanical advantage gained by it
2
: power, effectiveness
trying to gain more political leverage
3
: the use of credit to enhance one's speculative capacity
leveraged; leveraging
1
: to provide (something, such as a corporation) or supplement (something, such as money) with leverage
also
: to enhance as if by supplying with financial leverage
2
: to use for gain : exploit
shamelessly leverage the system to their advantage—
Alexander Wolff
Alexander WolffExamples of leverage in a Sentence
Noun
The union's size gave it leverage in the labor contract negotiations.
The player's popularity has given him a great deal of leverage with the owners of the team.
I used the leverage of the bar and a wooden block to pry the rock out of the hole.
Verb
The company wants to leverage its brands more effectively.
a reality show contestant who's trying to leverage her 15 minutes of fame
Recent Examples on the Web
Henry McIntosh, Forbes.com, 17 Apr. 2025
Many of the softest housing markets, where homebuyers have gained leverage, are located in Sun Belt regions of the Gulf Coast and Mountain West.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Apr. 2025
Jack Brook, Los Angeles Times, 21 Apr. 2025
Advertise services on neighborhood apps like Nextdoor, distribute flyers at local pet stores, and leverage family connections for initial clients.
—Sarah Hernholm, Forbes.com, 20 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for leverage
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Noun
While most of the market is still chasing sales through cold outreach or aggressive ad spend, the real winners are building leverage through smarter, aligned and scalable partnerships.
—Henry McIntosh, Forbes.com, 17 Apr. 2025
Many of the softest housing markets, where homebuyers have gained leverage, are located in Sun Belt regions of the Gulf Coast and Mountain West.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Apr. 2025
Verb
Attorneys from the Downs Law Group, representing Gremillion and about 100 others in cases against BP, say the company leveraged procedural technicalities to block victims from getting their day in court.
—Jack Brook, Los Angeles Times, 21 Apr. 2025
Advertise services on neighborhood apps like Nextdoor, distribute flyers at local pet stores, and leverage family connections for initial clients.
—Sarah Hernholm, Forbes.com, 20 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for leverage
Cite this Entry
“Leverage.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/leverage. Accessed 24 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationLegal Definition
leverage
1 of 2 noun
le·ver·age
ˈle-vrij, -və-rij
: the use of credit to enhance one's speculative capacity
leverage
2 of 2 transitive verb
leveraged; leveraging
: to provide (as a corporation) or supplement (as money) with leverage
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